2018 / 12/12

Strong As a Mother! TwitchTV_Poulie Strikes a Great Work-Life Balance

​​Reported by Newtalk Journalist Hsing-Hsiu Tsai"ZOWIE DIVINA PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) International Women's Invitational Tournament sees advanced 48 athletes from Europe, America, and Asia-Pacific competing on the same grounds after the preliminaries. These players will participate in an offline finals at Shanghai, China from December 13th to 16th, showcasing the most professional women's eSport competition to the world."

A particular athlete stands out from among her fellow female athletes in the ZOWIE DIVINA PUBG International Women's Invitational Tournament. This is "TwitchTV_Poulie," or Paula Monteiro, a curvaceous woman with a radiant smile. She is a Brazilian PUBG streamer and a loving mother to her family.

Paula's passion for eSports started in 2015. At that time, Paula's mother just passed away. Seeking for an emotional outlet, Paula was attracted by Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS: GO). Back then, her father was against her actions, but gradually, he realized that his daughter could potentially make a living and to care for her family from gaming. Gradually, her father became more supportive, and since her husband is also a gamer, he naturally supports her career.

Currently, Paula's major source of income is from live streaming, and she works part-time as a broadcaster for e-sporting events in the evenings. "After waking up in the morning and sending off my child to kindergarten, I start streaming until 5 P.M. After my child comes home, I dedicate myself to caring for her until she goes to bed." So what happens after her child goes to bed? "I go back to streaming!" says Paula. Her tight daily routine of sleeping for no more than four hours a day, and getting even less sleep on some weekends is shocking. Faced with our surprised reaction, Paula beams, "It's hard to imagine right?"

In the chilly wintertime in Shanghai in December, Paula's smile brings a ray of warmth.

​As a mother, Paula hasn't been much impacted by her childbirth. She smiles, "I'm glad my child is nice and she rarely makes a fuss. She usually sleeps quietly, allowing me to focus on my work. Though there have been difficult times, I never thought of giving up on gaming. Furthermore, my income from live streaming is enough for me to support my family."

Since the birth of her baby, Paula's primary source of income has been streaming. However, donations from supporters and fans as her income are unstable. "This work doesn't generate stable monthly salary like regular work. Sometimes I earn nothing in an entire month, but sometimes, I can make thousands of dollars in one month. This creates a certain pressure. If I don't make enough money this month, I would get the impulse to stream at all times, which cuts down on the time I spend with my child."

While we're on the subject of streaming, Paula's most memorable moment was when she donated her hair for children who had cancer. "At that time, I streamed myself shaving my head, and then I donated my hair to a charity to make wigs. Many of my followers were shocked, but they were very impressed of my courage and love, and decided to support my action. This was my most memorable moment."

However, as a high-level female player, Paula was also subjected to inferior treatment due to her gender. She once turned on her microphone in a game, but was immediately subjected to fairly rude language from her fellow male teammates, who even said, "Go wash your dishes at the kitchen!" But when asked whether there is any difference between male and female players, Paula smiled and immediately answered, "No I don't see any difference!"

As for whether she will support her child's decision to pursue eSports, Paula immediately gave an affirmative answer. She even asked rhetorically, "Why not? I will support her no matter what she chooses to do. I will let my child know that she has the freedom to choose. Nowadays, gaming is not just a mere hobby, and it is an appropriate occupation."

Having conquered many competitions, Paula believes that,"Mixed genders competitions can prove that there isn't any difference between the skills of women and men. It goes to prove females' aptitude for eSports. On the other hand, female-exclusive competitions can enhance our visibility. For instance, ZOWIE DIVINA PUBG International Women's Invitational Tournament, as a female gamer, it is an honor to be invited to a stage of this scale."

"I am truly happy to see a women's exclusive eSport competition," Paula laughed, "ZOWIE DIVINA PUBG International Women's Invitational Tournament gives female players a chance to prove that we can be great, that our skills can rival male players, and I hope to see more competitions like this in the future."

Paula's smile warms the grounds in the chilly Shanghai in December. Her name is tattooed on her right wrist, while her husband's name is inked on her left wrist. The name of her mother, who passed away, is inked on the back of her neck, while her respected father's name is on her lower back. She speaks of much love for her family, while her passion for her eSports business is easy for all to see. Having successfully found a balance between the two, Paula lives each day like a carnival, fully demonstrating a woman's gentle yet persistent strength for eSports.